My husband & I returned just yesterday from an amazing week long honeymoon at Curtain Bluff. He & I were fortunate enough to spend the week in the Terrace Suite, or better referred to as the "honeymoon suite" at the top of the bluff overlooking the magnificent ocean. The views were unsurpassed from our room, as I would imagine that they would be from any of their rooms. As you walk around the resort, you truly can appreciate their acute attention to detail, as well as the cleanliness.

Truly the overall resort is nothing short of extraordinary. Everything from our initial arrival with a warm greeting from a representative from Curtain Bluff to the unsurpassed service that we received throughout the duration of our stay was everything & more that we could have hoped for. We especially enjoyed the overall sense of peace & relaxation that encompasses Curtain Bluff. Additionally, their staff, including Curtain Bluffs gracious owners ensure that your stay is a memorable one. I know that I do not speak only for myself when I say that my husband & I genuinely look forward to a return trip to Curtain Bluff...hopefully sooner rather than later:) Thank you to everyone at Curtain Bluff for a perfect honeymoon.

After living in Europe for many years with my family and experiencing many 5 star hotels in Bali, Thailand, Mauritius, Dubai (actually rated 6 - 7 stars) to name a few, this was an incredible experience!! Best of all it was a great value inlight of having to book two junior suites for the four of us. The staff was extremely helpful in every way possible. After holidaying the past 2 years in Jamica you tend to expect surly attitudes which was certainly not the case at CB!! The food was plentiful, the water sports were great, and the rum punches outstanding. I am already looking at next years calendar and will be booking our flights shortly (and we only left the resort yesterday!!) In all our years of travelling, we have never returned to the same resort. Curtain Bluff just might be the exception!!!

We have just returned from a fabulous family vacation at Curtain Bluff in Antigua. This hotel is an amazing value --it's a luxury all-inclusive, which means we got terrific service, great food and accommodations, and paid one price up front (so my kids were not charged for each glass of milk or juice at the bar!). The rooms are spacious and overlook the beach. The staff is so friendly, and really took care of the kids (ages 4 and 5). The beach is beautiful, and there's a nice pool as well. I heard they are about to open a spa in May and from what I saw it looks super! This was our second year on vacation there and we will definitely go back. I highly recommend this resort for families as well as couples. The best I have found in the Caribbean.
--Laura D. Bill, New York City

Met at airport by Curtain Bluff (CB) rep. Directed to cab/van for forty-minute ride to resort (about $10/person).

While we were given the nickel tour, workers were busy stocking our fridge with our pre-selected favorites and setting a table of welcome cocktails in our room: wine for my wife, rum for me, and soda for our eleven-year old.

We had a junior suite on the beach, ground level, and I would highly recommend this unit to all. Be sure to ask for one of the ground-floor units that step-out onto the beach. The main room is divided by a step down, then another step down to a patio. The room measures 26 x 19ft. and the bath is a spacious 9 x 15ft and includes his/hers sinks, walk-in shower, champagne tub, toilet and bidet.

Bed is king-sized and our son slept on a large rattan sofa. The unit has tile flooring throughout. There is no TV, radio or clock, but you can have them set-up high-speed internet if you bring your own laptop.

The patio steps down directly to the beach and the water is about forty yards from there. This is the windward of the two beaches at CB, and the surf can get rough here. But, the snorkeling is excellent. I saw a huge spotted ray here.

Morris Bay, on the leeward side, is much calmer, but poor for snorkelers. It's here on Morris Bay that the resort's facilities face. There's a beach bar and dining room where lunch is served. You'll also find bocci ball, croquet, shuffleboard, playground set and the swimming pool. Several tiki huts and palms provide shade. The CB water sports huts are here, too.

From here you can get a view of the still smoldering volcano on Montserrat.


MEALS

Breakfast is more than adequate: a wide variety of baked goods, eggs done any way you like, juices, etc. Breakfast and dinner are served in the open-air main dining area at the center of the main building.

Lunch is at the beach facility, and on Wednesdays they have a steel drum band for ambiance. Also on Wednesdays, they serve a West Indies favorite: goat water. It's a thin, clove-flavored broth with chunks of goat meat and bones. One day they served a particularly good seafood stew with huge chunks of Caribbean lobster tail. Another day they served chicken curry. Other lunch staples include grilled chicken, three types of grilled fish, salad bar, and a wonderful lobster or shrimp salad.

Typically, lunch is served buffet-style, but you can also order from the terrace menu which includes hot dogs, hamburgers, sandwiches, salads and some very good onion rings.

We were unimpressed with the first evening of dinner, but it got progressively better as the days passed. The grilled half-lobster I had on Friday was very large and just fantastic. Also on Friday, the pastry chef presented a large dessert buffet which included wonderful chocolates, a mint and white chocolate flan, and a baked Alaska (to name but a few of the dozens of treats).

Dinner portions are not too big, so it was easy for us to have soup, an appetizer, salad, an entree and dessert without feeling bloated.

Dinner is always accompanied by live, soft music, but after dinner, the bands crank up the volume and tempo and there is dancing until 11pm.

There is also afternoon tea each day and a happy hour (with some rather below-par finger foods).

Of course, any meal may be ordered and delivered to your room, if you prefer. The bar is open from 11am until 11pm and, again, anything can be delivered. They will also stock your fridge with your favorite sodas, beer, water, etc. Wines and liquors must be ordered from the bar.

The owners also open their bluff-top home each Thursday evening for a very nice cocktail party. Often, they use the occasion to award particularly faithful guests with engraved, silver trays as a token of their appreciation.

The owners, Howard and his wife, are at nearly every meal.


WINE

Howard has the largest collection of wines in the Caribbean at 25-thousand bottles. My wife and I toured the cellar with George, the Head Winemaster, and his nephew, Javid. They gave us a nice bottle of Italian red to taste and enjoy with dinner.


SPORTS

Tennis, squash, sailing, tubing, water skiing, snorkeling, is all included--- even scuba. Although, they only do one dive trip a day (one tank) and only take six divers. There's also a small putting green.

We signed-up for a trip on the CB yacht, the Sentio, but not enough others signed-up, so they canceled the trip and we were notified while we sat by the dock waiting for the captain. They did try to make it up to us by offering another trip, but we had other plans.


THE PEOPLE

The help is is extra special. Very friendly and accommodating. The all-male wait staff is mostly competent and rarely surly. Many employees are exceptional pleasant and friendly. You'll find several workers who have been at CB nearly thirty years.

The guests when we were there were predominantly British. You'll probably be mixing with well-to-do business owners, executives or retirees.


EXTRAS

The only extra charges you might incur would be for bottles of wine from Howard's cellar or spa treatments. No need to carry cash or a wallet. Just lock your valuables in your room safe (as there are no room keys to lock your door while you are out).


DRESS

We were told that gentleman are asked to wear collared shirts at dinner with slacks (no jeans) and "dress" shoes. These requirements result in a variety of combinations: from blazers+french cuffs+shoes with buckles, to polo shirts+khakis+topsiders. Next time, I will leave my sport coat at home and I'll pack some nice topsiders.


PHONING THE U.S.

Before we left the U.S., I talked with two different AT&T reps who told me I could NOT use an AT&T International calling card from Antigua: they were wrong. I bought one in the states and used it from CB with no problem and no additional charges to my room. Worked out to be about sixty cents a minute, but you could get a better rate by buying the 300 minute card.


CONCLUSION

This was our first taste of "all-inclusive", and were were very pleased. Being a gourmand, I was concerned the food would disappoint, but it did not. Each meal had plenty of choices and quality was always top-notch. Not an A+ at all times, perhaps, but it certainly averaged in the B to A grade and never below a B.

I had planned to venture off-property to nearby Carlisle Bay for at least one meal, but really never found the need to do so. We were quite content with staying where we were.

Hard to find fault with this place.

It's kid-friendly. There's a kid's media room with video games.

We could cite many examples of attention to detail that other resorts might overlook.

Price will certainly determine if it's right for you. While we got a great deal (especially considering it was Easter week), we felt we would gladly pay more for the accommodations, vista, location and all-inclusive items.

All-in-all, a very good value indeed and one of the few places we have visited to which we hope to return.